Destination: California Central Coast | Motorcycle Travel

April 11, 2013

Destination: California Central Coast | Motorcycle Travel

Traveling California Central Coast via Motorcycle

Almost any Highway 1 will be an epic motorcycle road, yet California Highway 1 manages to be #1 among #1s. California Highway 1 runs from suburban Dana Point (between Los Angeles and San Diego) in the south, to Leggett, about 200 miles below the Oregon border.

A wide variety of riding is available along California 1 – which runs over 700 miles end-to-end – yet, the crown jewel of this majestic highway is the world-renowned 120-mile segment from affluent Carmel-By-The-Sea, south to sleepy Morro Bay.

Between these two points, a vast array of attractions await on the endlessly fascinating two-lane Cabrillo Highway along the rugged California coast.

Heading south from Carmel, the iconic Bixby Creek Bridge arrives within a dozen miles, with its unforgettable 320-foot concrete arch span.

Big Sur, long a counterculture Mecca, is the next anticipated destination. If it is mealtime, a break for sustenance at Nepenthe Restaurant is a must.

Heading south from Big Sur, some serious kinks are worked into the road, and that is where you are engaged in a constant battle between keeping your eyes on the road and enjoying the breathtaking scenery. It is one of those places where being a passenger might just be more fun than working the bars.

Next, State Park after State Park then greets you as you continue, along with a few tiny hamlets offering expensive supplies and gasoline.

At the southern end, there is the legendary Hearst Castle (reservations usually required) and extensive marine-mammal watching (seals, otters, whales) at San Simeon Bay.

The aptly named Pashnit Tours takes riders on Cabrillo Highway, along with many of the less well-known roads to the east and north, giving riders an opportunity to fully experience the vast Central California coastal regions, starting from Saratoga in the southern San Francisco Bay area.

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